POLICE raced to a fish farm with their sirens blaring after getting a report of a dead body – only to be faced with a scarecrow.

The emergency crews descended on Dragonfly Fisheries near Cerrigydrudion after a caller told them somebody was hanging from a tree.

Staff at the 2.5 acre trout fishery were flabbergasted when two police cars, a forensic van and an ambulance careered into the car park.

When police said they were responding to an apparent suicide, employees said that what they thought was a dead body was actually a mannequin used to scare away cormorants who keep stealing the fish.

The dummy was propped against a tree and dressed in a fluorescent workman’s coat and policeman’s helmet, with its arms above its head.

Caretaker Rhuary McDonald said: “It is quite obvious to see it is a mannequin by its position and what it was wearing. I couldn’t believe the response.”

Another member of staff said: “A police car swept into the car park, followed by a large white van, an ambulance with flashing lights and another police car with siren blaring – there were about eight people in all. When we asked what was going on, police asked if we were aware there was a body hanging from a tree.

“We instantly realised they must’ve been talking about the mannequin.

“In the winter we’re plagued by cormorants which wait for us to go, then swoop down to take the fish out of the water.

“The mannequin is propped up against the tree, not hanging from it, and helps keep the birds away – we were quite shocked by this incident.”

A police spokeswoman said: “We responded to a report of what was thought to be a body hanging from a tree. The call was made in good faith and we responded, but when we got there we gave the call to stand down when we realised it was a dummy.”